February  14,  1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
135 
Manures  aijd  Leguminous  Plants. 
The  statement  made  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Willis  on  page  73,  that  the 
fertilising  action  of  farmyard  manure  is  slow  compared  with  artificials, 
is  to  my  mind  very  misleading.  A  statement  of  this  description  should, 
if  it  is  to  be  of  any  practical  value  to  growers,  be  backed  up  by  facts 
to  prove  the  slow  action,  but  where  are  they?  Mr.  Willis  1  am  aware 
has  brought  forward  certain  experiments  with  manures  on  Potatoes 
that  have  been  carried  out  at  Rothamstead,  but  they  are  of  no  value, 
because  if  he  had  given  the  weight  of  Potatoes  produced  on  other 
plots  it  would  have  shown  how  little  the  facts  given  were  worth.  He 
told  us  that  a  plot  of  poor  land  was  dressed  with  14  tons  of  farmyard 
manure  per  acre,  and  yielded  85^  cwt.  of  Potatoes.  Another  plot  of  the 
same  kind  of  soil  received  a  dressing  of  an  artificial  manure  containing 
available  nitrogen  and  minerals,  and  yielded  175|  cwts.  per  acre. 
Why  did  the  latter  plot  yield  so  mauy  more  Potatoes  than  the  former  ? 
Mr.  J.  J.  Willis  wants  us  believe  that  it  was  because  of  the  available 
nitrogen  and  minerals  that  was  given  in  the  artificial  manure.  If  that 
were  so,  how  is  it  that  plot  No.  9,  which  received  nothing  except 
cwts.  of  superphosphate  of  lime,  yielded  121  cwts.  of  Potatoes  ?  I 
also  find  that  plot  No.  4  besides  getting  a  dressing  of  14  tons  of 
farmyard  manure  per  acre,  received  3^  cwts.  of  superphosphate,  and 
550  lbs.  of  nitrate  of  soda,  and  yet  the  yield  of  Potatoes  on  this  plot  was 
only  134J  cwts.  There  is  one  other  little  thing  regarding  this  Dart  of 
the  subject  Mr.  Willis  did  not  tell  us,  and  that  is,  that  the  Potatoes  were 
not  planted  until  June  10-13.  I  will  now  leave  him  to  let  in  a 
little  light  on  these  important  points,  for  they  are  not  at  all 
satisfactory. — W.  D.,  Herts. 
Late  Dessert  Fruits. 
Very  readily  do  I  accede  to  “  R.  A.’s  ”  suggestion,  page  78,  to  give 
the  names  and  treatment  of  the  Peaches  and  other  fruits  which 
gave  the  late  supplies  here  last  year.  I  should  be  sorry  to  misjudge, 
but  I  thought  I  detected  in  “  R.  A.’s  ”  congratulations  a  spice  of  satire, 
if  not  of  slight  censure.  Whether  this  be  so  or  not  does  not  affect  the 
question.  At  the  same  time  it  would  have  given  me  muoh  greater 
pleasure  in  replying  if  “  R.  A.”  had  deigned  to  give  his  or  her  name  and 
address.  It  may  be  an  old-fashioned  idea,  but  I  do  like  to  know  with 
whom  I  am  discussing  a  subject.  It  is,  to  say  the  least,  so  much  more 
satisfactory  and  pleasant  than  to  be  compelled  to  refer  to  single  or 
double  letters  of  the  alphabet,  which  are  most  useful  indicators  of  the 
chief  points  in  a  geometrical  figure,  but  they  are  not  always  true 
indicators  of  the  human  figure. 
The  late  varieties  of  Peaches  were  Sea  Eagle,  Walburton 
Admirable,  Princess  of  Wales,  Golden  Eagle,  and  Salway.  They  are 
chiefly  upright  cordons,  30  inches  apart,  on  a  south  wall  coped  with 
glass,  which  not  only  protects  the  ripe  fruit  from  wet,  but  also  from 
slight  frosts.  Fortunately  there  were  no  severe  frosts  here  during  last 
October  and  November,  otherwise  a  slight  protection  of  netting  would 
have  been  bung  along  the  front  standards  that  support  the  coping. 
The  varieties  of  Plums  were  Late  Green  Gage,  Late  Transparent 
Gage,  and  Coe’s  Golden  Drop,  situated  on  an  east  wall  also  coped  with 
glass.  The  two  first  varieties  were  gathered  as  required  for  use,  but 
the  latter  variety  was  gathered  when  fully  ripe,  wrapped  when  quite 
dry  in  tissue  paper,  and  stored  in  a  cool  dry  room,  whence  they 
furnished  a  daily  supply  till  the  date  already  given. 
The  varieties  of  Strawberries  were  La  Constante  d’Automne,  St. 
Joseph,  St.  Antoine  de  Padoue,  and  Oregon.  These  were  chiefly  in 
pots  placed  on  ashes  out  of  doors  till  they  began  to  damp  off,  when 
they  were  transferred  to  a  comparatively  dry,  intermediate  house. 
With  reference  to  soil,  one  of  our  old-fashioned  fanners  being  asked 
what  was  the  nature  of  the  soil  on  his  farm,  tersely  replied  “  Flints.”  True, 
but  only. partially  so,  as  on  much  of  the  land  there  are  about  3  inches 
in  depth  of  flints,  and  the  same  quantity  of  calcareous  loam  or  marl 
resting  on  the  chalk.  In  such  a  compost,  largely  intermixed  with  old 
mortar  and  brick  rubbish,  the  trees  here  are  planted,  the  roots  being 
restricted  to  a  space  4  feet  6  inches  from  the  wall. 
With  reference  to  altitude  and  climate.  The  garden  is  situated 
180  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea;  it  is  in  a  valley  through  which  two 
rivers  flow,  and  is  bounded  by  high  ranges  of  hills  north  and  south. 
The  climate  is  damp,  and  subject  to  the  greatest  changes  of  temperature. 
If  carefully  recorded  observations  made  during  the  past  forty  years  are 
correct,  there  is  a  greater  average  range  of  temperature  in  twenty- 
four  hours  at  Wilton  than  at  almost  any  other  station  throughout 
England.  The  average  annual  rainfall  for  the  above  period  is  32i  inches. 
With  reference  to  the  flavour  of  late  fruits  there  are  diverse 
opinions,  but  as  beauty  is  said  to  be  in  the  eje  of  the  gazer,  so  flavour 
is  on  the  palate  of  each  individual.  That  which  appears  ugly  in  the 
eyes  of  one  may  be  beautiful  in  the  eyes  of  another,  and  that  which 
may  be  distasteful  on  the  palate  of  one  may  be  delicious  on  the  palate 
of  another.  Knowing  this,  should  we  not  hesitate  before  recklessly 
condemning  any  fruit,  which  may  prove  invaluable  because  of  some 
special  quality  it  may  possess  ?  Should  we  not  rather  let  the  test  of 
flavour  rest  with  those  whom  it  is  our  duty  to  endeavour  to  please? 
As  I  have  previously  stated,  the  peculiar  season  of  1900  was  the  chief 
factor  in  enabling  us  to  gather^  these  late  fruits. 
I  disclaim  any  credit  beyond  that  of  careful  preservation,  and  if  I 
hazarded  a  prediction  that  cannot  possibly  be  realised  I  regret  it — viz., 
“  that  these  fruits  might  eventually  be  found  plentifully  on  the  dessert 
table  at  Christmas.”  At  the  same  time,  I  can  bub  recollect,  on 
reflection,  that  the  season  of  each  of  the  kinds  of  fruit  enumerated 
has  during  my  experience,  by  scientific  and  practical  means,  been 
extended  a  longer  period  than  the  time  I  ventured  to  specify  that  they 
might  be  even  yet  further  extended  in  the  near  future.  Whether  that 
prediction  was  a  rash  one  or  not  time  only  can  prove. — T.  Challis, 
Wilton  House,  Salisbury. 
- - 
Rabbits  in  tl\e  Pleasure  Grounds. 
I  do  not  know  whether  readers  of  the  Journal  find  rabbits  a  source 
of  much  trouble  in  the  garden.  My  experience  has  been  that  when 
present  in  goodly  numbers  planting  is  rendered  difficult,  and  the  safety 
of  shrubs  and  trees  cannot  be  assured,  for  the  bark  of  some  trees  is 
very  attractive  to  them.  When  snow  is  on  the  ground  is  the  time  when 
they  are  likely  to  be  treacherous  in  their  “  pranks  ”  with  trees.  There 
are  wall  trees  here  which  still  bear  the  marks  of  rabbits,  as  well  as  the 
relics  of  tar  dressings  applied  as  a  means  of  prevention — that  is  on  the 
outer  sides  of  the  walls  to  which  rabbits  have  access.  Rabbits  are  a 
terror  to  the  flower  borders  as  well  as  lawn  trees,  and  only  by 
protection  with  wire  netting  round  individual  plants,  enclosing  the 
whole  border  with  wire,  or  excluding  them  altogether,  can  flower 
gardening  be  carried  on  with  any  degree  of  safety  or  pleasure.  The 
latter  is  not  easy,  particularly  after  the  wire  had  been  in  use  some  time. 
We  have  found  that  hedgehogs  make  passages  through  wire  fencing,  and 
once  they  effect  an  entrance  rabbits  easily  follow  until  trapped  or  the 
wire  is  repaired.  There  is  nothing  equal  to  the  sunk  fence  for  pleasure 
ground  boundaries,  but  there  are  unfortunately  many  gardens  without 
them.  There  are  perhaps  few  gardens  surrounded  by  park  land  or 
game  preserves  that  can  be  said  to  be  free  from  rabbits. 
The  object  of  these  notes  is  not  to  enumerate  the  many  ills  and 
evils  attending  the  association  of  rabbits  with  the  garden,  as  to 
emphasise  the  necessity  in  times  of  deep  snow  to  remove  some  by 
means  of  the  snow  plough  or  shovel  on  grass  inside  or  outside  the  lawn 
boundary,  so  that  they  can  find  a  natural  food.  If  they  are  deprived 
of  this  for  a  short  time  they  soon  seek  food  in  “  pastures  new.”  Trees 
made  proof  against  them  with  wire  or  tar  dressings  would  be  rendered 
easy  victims  of  their  depredations  if  the  snow  become  drifted  to  any 
extent  against  the  stems.  Specimen  Hollies  here  were  seriously  reduced 
some  years  since  by  the  rabbits  “ringing”  the  stems  above  the  snow 
line ;  other  trees  suffered  somewhat,  including  wall  fruit  trees  from  the 
same  cause.  By  making  a  provision  for  them  in  clearing  away  the 
snow  so  that  they  can  obtain  a  natural  food  we  have  suffered  no 
inconvenience  from  them  of  late  years.  In  the  summer,  when  grass  is 
accessible  and  plentiful,  they  will  nibble  the  bark  of  some  coniferous 
trees  out  of  sheer  mischief,  and  thus  the  necessity  arises  for  keeping 
them  outside  the  garden  boundary  even  more  strongly  in  summer  than 
winter. — W.  S.,  Wilts. 
— - - - 
Ipswich  Gardeners’  Association. — A  meeting  of  the  Ipswich 
and  District  Gardeners  and  Amateurs’  Mutual  Improvement  Society 
was  held  in  the  Co-operative  Hall,  Carr  Street,  last  Thursday,  when 
the  Rev.  A.  Foster- Melliar,  rector  of  Sproughton,  entertained  a  good 
assembly  of  members  with  a  little  “  Talk  about  Rrses,”  Mr.  Alan 
Turner  being  in  the  chair.  The  rev.  gentleman,  in  the  course  of  a  most 
entertaining  chatty  address,  referred  first  of  all  to  garden  Roses, 
dwelling  at  considerable  length  upon  single  examples,  which  he  showed, 
as  decorative  flowers  for  the  garden,  had  one  advantage  over  the 
double  Rose,  for  in  the  latter  case  no  sooner  was  there  a  heavy  shower 
of  rain,  than  the  whole  bloom  and  bush  was  often  a  disagreeable  sight. 
With  the  ideal  siDgle  Rose  it  was  not  so  ;  the  rain  might  knock  off  the 
petals,  but  the  next  day  the  picture  was  not  much  the  worse.  Single 
Roses  should  be  very  large,  and  above  all  they  should  be  perpetual. 
He  confessed  that  he  could  not  afford  room  in  his  comparatively  small 
garden  for  flowers  that  bloomed  only  for  a  week  or  two.  Amongst 
other  varieties  of  garden  Roses,  the  Rev.  A.  Foster-Melliar  referred  to 
the  creeper  or  climbing  Roses.  He  named  the  best  varieties,  and  the 
circumstances  under  which  they  grew  to  best  advantage,  having 
regard  to  perpetuity.  He  showed  that  many  Roses  that  were  looked 
upon  and  treated  as  climbers  were  not  in  reality  of  that  class.  He 
treated  the  subject  of  the  colours  of  Roses  in  a  very  amusing  manner, 
quoting  from  a  Rose  catalogue  a  list  so  long  that  the  new  reading  of  it 
caused  a  good  deal  of  laughter,  as  did  also  his  criticisms  of  the  various 
colours  named.  He  alluded  to  a  number  of  the  older  Roses  ;  he  named 
many  of  the  more  familiar  ones,  pointing  out  their  respective  qualities, 
and  making  not  a  few  valuable  suggestions  as  to  the  treatment  of  the 
special  favourites.  He  also  referred  to  the  new  Roses,  and  concluded 
one  of  the  most  entertaining  and  instructive  lectures  yet  delivered  under 
the  auspices  of  the  association  by  expressing  the  pleasure  he  felt  at 
finding  that  the  organisation  was  realising  the  objects  of  its  founders. 
